Everything I Do, I Do It For You
by Conundrums
Summary: A girl who's lost everything and a boy who had nothing to begin with. What happens when they meet? GaaxOc
1. Prologue

Sachi opened her eyes slowly, trying to remember where she was. She looked down at a pair of pure white sheets and instinctively tried to sit up. She found her arms to be very wobbly and bandaged. What had happened to her? Had she done something bad? Or maybe… she looked at the sheets again. Maybe she was in Heaven?

A small boy with slightly spiky red hair and a downcast look on his face looked up at her. His empty-looking, lonely eyes danced when he saw her return his hopeful gaze. Sachi wanted very much to thank this boy, whoever he was, for all that he had done. For bandaging her arms- whatever had happened to them- and for letting her sleep in such a big bed with such clean, expensive looking sheets… but all that came out was:

"Are you an angel?" Sachi's cheeks turned bright red. What a stupid thing to ask. He looked her age, about 5. How could he be an angel? But still… The boy's red hair shook slightly as he looked from side to side, checking to see if Sachi had addressed someone else, perhaps? But he saw no one, no one but himself and this girl.

"M-Me?" he stuttered, looking down at the ground "Uh… I thought…" He looked up again, and started shifting back and forth from foot to foot "Don't you… not like me? Like all the others…? Aren't I scary to you?" He looked back down again, as if hoping the floor would answer him.

"Well of course I don't hate you!" Sachi giggled with the energy only a 5 year old could have. "You helped me with my arms, and you let me sleep in this HUGE bed. Did it cost ALOOTT?" She asked inquisitively. The boy looked up and blushed at her silly question.

"No, everyone around here has beds like this… I think." He didn't really know for sure- he'd never gone to someone's house. He rarely even went out of the house. "But I'm glad you like it." A slight trace of a smile was found on his face. Sachi realized this boy… his eyes, they looked like someone she knew- someone she loved- someone who would also be described as her brother. HER BROTHER. The thought seem to have smacked her in the face. Where was he? Where was SHE? But she didn't really know what to do. She was only 5, and wasn't exactly a big thinker. She considered things a lot, and her best option was to wait. Maybe it would all come back to her.

"But anyway," Sachi said, smiling bigger then the boy "Why would I think you looked scary? You don't. In fact, you look…" She really didn't know how to put it. Incredible? Amazing? Perfect? "Nice."


	2. A Past Yet To Be Revealed

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO. But… I wish I did -GoesEmo-

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"Mom…" Came the timid voice of a timid 14 year old "I have a date tonight and…"

"OH!" A female voice came over the sizzle of cooking sushi "Is it that Kimoto girl?" She cooed "I just a-dore her! Is she coming over here? She's so polite! Should I clean the apartment a bit?" And like any embarrassed teen, Dai, the 14 year old, groaned.

"Mom, pleeeassee stay out of this tonight. I want to go alone. You're just so…. Well…"

"Embarrassing?" His mother laughed. Dai nodded. He loved his mother very much, and she was nice, but enough was enough. Last time he had brought his girlfriend over, mom had gone through so many questions. She had always wanted a daughter, and she had just recently gotten one. Well, not really recently. 4 years ago was not recent. 4 years ago was forever, or so it seemed to Dai. His younger sister, Sachi, was quiet and timid, like himself, but she was a girl (his sister) so they never talked.

4-year-old Sachi lied on the floor, staring at the ceiling. She was tired, and desperately needed a nap. Her mom was making dinner, but it was only 4. It was because she had… appointments. Sachi didn't fully grasp what her mom did, but she had an idea.

Her mother left during the night, and came back in the mornings, extremely tired and loaded with cash. She'd drop Sachi at daycare while her brother walked to ninja school. He was almost a graduate! Sachi was always curious of her brother, and very proud. She wanted very badly to be like him. Everyone liked him, he had a girlfriend all the time, and he was a perfect ninja. Sachi wouldn't know what to do without him or her mom.

At night, Sachi slept on the floor. Her brother got a couch, and so did her mom. Sachi didn't mind sleeping on the floor- infact, she loved it. She could roll around all she wanted to, and she wouldn't fall off anything. Her mom couldn't afford a bed, but she did her best to support the kids and encouraged them in everything they did.

Sachi loved drawing- more then anything in the world. She was constantly drawing things, and her mom was constantly buying her paper. Her brother would always shake his sandy-blonde hair and laugh when he saw Sachi writing on the walls when there was no paper around. He had jade green eyes- filled with loneliness, no matter how much he laughed- usually. But even his eyes turned excited and joyous when he saw her little etches of fairies and whatnot on the walls. He, personally, never liked drawing, but he also encouraged her with his laugh- even if he didn't know it.

(A/N: Back to the current events… -.-)

This particular night was special to Dai, though. His girlfriend and him were going out to dinner together. But he didn't have anything to pay for it with. So here he was, asking his mom if he could borrow some.

"But anyway, seriously mom," he said, his voice fading. He hated asking his mother for money. Unlike Sachi, he knew exactly what she did to get it. "I need something to pay for dinner with…" There. He'd said it.

"Oh sure!" she said, reaching for her purse. She pulled out a wad of paper money and placed it in his hand. "That should cover it!" And she smiled.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sachi woke up and cried out. What happened next? It was all she could remember. She looked around again. She was still in that red-haired boy's house. But what about her old house? Where was it? Where was her mom and he brother? Did they need her? Or was the truth really, she needed them...?


	3. Good Morning's And Playing Pretend

Disclaimer: Noo. Don't make me admit it…! Okay, fine. I DON'T OWN NARUTO. But just you wait…

Sachi couldn't do back to sleep. She tried every position on the bed she possibly could.

First, she put the pillow at her feet and lied at the end of the bed. No luck. Then, she flipped over on her back and stared at the ceiling. No luck. At last, she curled up in a ball and slowly, slowly, drifted off into yet another dream, but nothing quite memorable.

In the morning, the red haired boy came back, and shook her ever so slightly, hoping she would wake up. She immediately woke up, surprisingly, and jumped out of bed. She was a little surprised at how naturally she jumped out of bed, seeing as she had never slept on one (That she could remember) but she shook it off.

"Morning!" She called cheerily, surprising the quiet boy "What's for breakfast?" The boy looked surprised.

"I'm not sure…" He didn't usually make breakfast. He was only a little boy- it was Yashamaru's job to take care of him. Speaking of Yashamaru, he thought, did this girl know him yet? Did she even know him? "I'm Gaara…" he said, trailing off and staring at the ground once again.

"I'm Sachi!" Sachi replied, grinning. "Nice to meet you!" And she reached out and shook his hand up and down quickly. "So, what are WE doing today?" Another question that surprised Gaara. What was he going to do today? It's not as if he had any friends to introduce Sachi too. It's not like he had anywhere to be. So maybe they'd just stay at home all day… "How about we go play tag outside!" Sachi suggested. Gaara was, you guessed it, once again surprised.

"T-tag?" He stuttered "But there's only us two…" Sachi smirked, as if the solution was obvious.

"Let's ask some people to play with us then!" Gaara shook his head. He didn't want to play tag with anyone. He didn't want to even talk to anyone in his village. All they had to say was hurtful remarks, and he didn't understand why they hated him so much. He couldn't help what he did… it just… happened.

"Well okay…" Sachi said, seeing how Gaara clearly didn't like most of the villagers. "How about we play pretend then?" Gaara nodded, his red hair shaking ever so slightly. "Okay! Let's play ninja! I'LL be the super-star kunoichi, and you can be my best friend!" She got a little tiny fake dagger she could semi-remember making to play with her brother once out of her blood-stained shirt pocket (A/N They didn't wash her clothes yet, gosh!) and danced about the room. Gaara smiled nervously and just stood there.

"Well, wait are you waiting for?!" Sachi called out him. She snuck up behind him and was about to pretend to stab him with the fake weapon, but was blocked by a barricade of sand. "Woah!" She exclaimed.

Gaara looked down again. Was this it? Would she run away and leave him all alone? Would she hate him now?

"Way cool!" she shouted, and kept playing. "How do you do that? It's super cool! Do you think you could teach me?" She kept grinning like a certifiably insane nutcase and running around the room.

"Well I sorta…" Gaara mumbled "It just… happens. Didn't it scare you?" Sachi laughed.

"Scare ME, pleasee. I'm amazed! You must be really proud!" She stabbed the fake dagger at him one more time (even though it was blocked by sand) for emphasis.

"Well," Gaara said, his voice coming out stronger "Not really."


	4. Suffering Transfer No Jutsu

Disclaimer: Yeah. I uhm… don't own Naruto and stuff. So uh. Yeah.

Naruto: ON WITH THE STORY.

Gaara: Holy crap. When did you get here?

Naruto: I've always been here! BELIEVE IT.

Oookayy…

Sachi was not the most patient little girl in Sunagakure ( A/N The Sand Village, re-tard) and she certainly had become fed up with waiting to see her brother. She was in the sand village, or at least that's what she saw on all the headbands when she ran outside for a breath of fresh air, and she certainly wasn't from here. She was from the… well… she couldn't really remember. What village was she from?

"Gaara…" Sachi said quietly- the first quiet thing she had done all of that day- "Where did you… well… where did you find me?"

"Outside?" He said "You were just sorta… lying there." Sachi's impatience returned.

"Well of course you found me outside, silly!" she said ,trying to keep her voice level "But was it in this village?" Gaara looked down again.

"I wasn't there… Yashamaru was out on a mission in the Village Hidden In The-"

"Yashamaru?!" Sachi asked "Who in the world is Yashamaru?" As if on cue, an adult shinobi walked in. He had dirty blonde hair and a somewhat cheerful look on his face.

"Why hello there Gaara! I see our guest has woken up." He said with a small smile and a sing-song voice. Sachi looked at him wearily. She and Gaara exchanged a glance, telling Sachi this was Yashamaru.

-S A C H I ' S D R E A M-

Sachi was wearing a cute little pink dress her mother had bought her when she was a bit younger. It was her favorite thing to wear (not like she had much else to wear) It was very special to her, and she felt like a princess when she wore it.

Sachi had very long black hair, reaching to just below her shoulders. She had plain brown eyes, with no particular exciting features. Her brother, she remembered, could make his eyes turn red during combat. She had tried several times, but she could not. She did, however, have one ability she shared with her brother- Suffering Transfer No Jutsu. She shared this ability with her mother as well, so it was clearly in her mother's blood. Her brother always told her about how she would someday be able to do the… what did he call it? The Sharingon.

Sachi twirled around in the pink dress again and again. She was at her neighbors house, because her mother had gone to work, and her brother was on yet another date.

She was excited, because in just a few days, she would be turning five. Her mother would take them out to eat, and Sachi would get to pick the place. Sachi didn't like going out to eat, because people sometimes gave her dirty looks, but it was nice being with her mom and Dai. Then, they'd go home and maybe play a game in the back yard. Almost 1 year ago, on her 4th birthday, her mother had given her this dress. She still fit in it.

Sachi also found out about her Suffering Transfer No Jutsu on her 4th birthday. Her brother had tripped when they were playing tag, and he had a small cut on his knee. Sachi had felt terrible, and she wished the pain would go away from him. Then, a hand sign appeared in her head. She had never performed a handsign before, but she did it nevertheless. And she saw the wound slowly disappearing. She was so thrilled! But then the wound appeared, an exact image in her hands. She didn't know what to do with it. she was holding a bloody cut! What was she, a 4 year old, supposed to do? She tried to wipe it off on her knee, but the second it touched her skin, it appeared there! She was terrified. She had just taken her brother's pain and put it on herself!

Later, she learned she could do this with emotional pain. She also found she could move the pain, not just to herself, but to perhaps throw it at an opponent. If there was nothing nearby, it would have to go on her, or it would begin to damage her hands.

That's all for now! Please Reviewww. I read everyone's stories who review mine.


	5. Why He's So Alone

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But uh. I wish I did? Whooo.

PS: I'm in sort of a sad, love sick mood. So this chapter might turn quite… interesting.

This has a time skip of about a half a year or so? (Sachi and Gaara are now both six)

Sachi had a horrible feeling. She was most likely sick, but she also thought it had something to do with something that was about to happen. She was no psychic, but she could at least slightly tell when something bad was going to happen.

Or perhaps, she felt sick because of something bad that had already happened. Sachi had stayed home, and Gaara had gone to the playground. He very rarely went anywhere without her, but she had been asleep, and he didn't want to wake her. She didn't really know what had happened at the playground, but Yashamaru came back home with injured arms and a very distraught Gaara. Sachi didn't want to upset Gaara even more, so she didn't ask. She just sat by him for a while, and not a word was said.

Sachi had built this connection with Gaara in the time they'd spent together. They were so alike, and it formed a very strong bond between them (as strong as six years old can have) Sachi had never had this connection with anyone but maybe her brother, and she still didn't know where he was.

"Gaara?" Sachi whispered. Gaara turned his head towards her in acknowledgement "I don't feel good… I'm gonna go lie down…" Gaara nodded and went back to looking into space. Sachi walked into the guest room she had inhabited since she had been at Gaara's house and plopped down on the bed, falling asleep almost within seconds.

When Sachi awoke, she heard Yashamaru and Gaara's voices float from the living room.

"Yashamaru, I think I understand now!" came Gaara's voice "Can I have some of those bandages?" Sachi wondered what he was talking about. Her stomach still felt unsettled, but she really wanted to know. She heard Yashamaru's voice.

"Sure Gaara, but why..?" And then she heard the rustling of bandages and the door shut- Gaara. Sachi immediately jolted up and ran out of her bedroom, her head pounding. Yashamaru opened his mouth to question her destination, but Sachi was already gone.

Sachi found Gaara running anxiously along the street, carrying a bag of what was most likely bandages. She decided it might be best not to make her presence known and silently followed. Once Gaara finally stopped, Sachi saw him approach a porch and watched from behind a bush.

"H-hello?" came Gaara's voice. Sachi was straining her neck for a peak at him, but almost fell flat on her face. Maybe it was just best to listen. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier today. It must have really hurt…" Gaara's voice trailed off.

"Get away," came an angry voice of someone, sounding Gaara and Sachi's age "Freak." Which was quickly followed by the slam of a door. Sachi could almost hear Gaara trembling and then the drop of the bag containing bandages. Sachi would have opened the person's door Gaara had been on the porch of and screamed bloody murder. She would have made them hurt so much for the things they probably always said to Gaara- but she didn't. But only because Gaara was once again moving.

Sachi heard his footsteps, quiet as they were, and came out of her hiding spot behind the bushes. A drunken man stumbled up the path, straight into Gaara. And it seemed to be over in a flash- a few seconds later he was dead. Several people came out to look, but Gaara just kept walking. So this was why Gaara never wanted to go out into his village. All these people- his own comrades- were not very eager to understand him. They were all too caught up doing there own thing to pay him any mind except to talk badly about him. Now wonder he's so alone, Sachi thought, No wonder…

Kay, I'm writing short chapters, I know, but it's better short then nothing?

Yeah. That's the ticket.


	6. Gekitsuugon: The Art Of Kekkei Genkai

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But, on the bright side, my

uh… wot's today? My April 10th's resolution (instead of New Year's Resolution. Hahaha? Get it? Right.) is too write longer chapters so yeah. Whoo. Here goes nothing.

Gaara was crying. Sachi could see the pain radiating off of him. Not psychical pain, but emotional- and lots of it. He was sitting on a wall, back facing the world. No one wanted to accept him. But why was he the only one? Why was he the only monster in this world? Why did he even have to exist?

Sachi watched him from a distance, wondering what he was thinking. She could still see the pain radiate from him by using her Gekitsuugan- Her kekkei genkai. That's what allowed her to transfer pain, see pain, and morph pain in many ways. Her Gekitsuugan made her eyes turn whatever emotion she was either holding or seeing. She had a special color for each emotion, and wounds made her eyes turn black. Right now, her eyes were red with a tint of yellow- anger (Red) and sadness (Yellow). She knew, though, by just looking at him, if it had been her own emotions she had been looking at, her eyes would have been purple, the color of love and compassion.

She saw his shaking figure and the way his emotions came out in large waves- a sign of bottling most of his feelings inside usually. She could always feel a stronger feeling coming from someone who always kept their feeling to themselves. Sachi remembered how she got her first experience with this, by seeing her brother come home once after being at the ninja academy. Her memories were all still very fuzzy, and she could only remember bits and pieces in dreams, but for some reason, this image was something she could probably never forget.

Her brother had come home with a black eye, and various bruises all over his arms, and a few on his legs- Sachi couldn't see a lot of them, for most had been covered in bandages. His mother had looked at him and started crying right away. Sachi could swear she almost saw her brother cry too, but only a slightly watery eye gave it away- or so she thought. She, too, had begun to cry. But, not because her mother was crying. Not because her brother was hurt so badly- though that was part of it- but because of the pain she saw in her brother. It hurt her to see him hurting inside. Sachi had wondered if her mother could see his pain too, as clearly as she could, and if that was why she was crying. But she wasn't too sure.

In fact, Sachi had always thought she was the only one in her family who had this gift. Until, of course, that fateful birthday, when she discovered yet another power she had. She found she shared this ability with her mother and brother, but she hadn't told them about how she could experience pain in such an extensive way. She thought, maybe, if she told her mother, she might get angry or upset. Or she might feel bad and cry- Sachi hated it when her mother cried.

For her mother, too, had pain Sachi could feel. When Sachi lie awake sometimes at night and her mother left, she felt an air of guilt around the house. And when her mother came home, she felt an even stronger amount of guilt come with her- and a sense of disappointment in herself. She had wanted to comfort her mother at these times, but was afraid. She never had questioned her leaving and never cried when she left.

Sachi was not one to cry, except when she was alone. Maybe that's why the memory of her brother stuck to her. Maybe that's why she was always reminded of her brother. He was the first person to see her cry- and he didn't make fun of her. When she cried, she'd run off somewhere and hide. Not because she was embarrassed she was upset, but because she was afraid she'd be seen as weak. She felt she needed to be strong, for her mother and her brother, even if they didn't need her.

It made her feel like she had a purpose. She would be training constantly. Sometimes practicing with her brother, other times all by herself. She'd set ridiculous goals that six year olds shouldn't even be thinking about. Like, if she could get her Gekitsuugan to work better then her brother's, she'd go eat dinner that day. But if she didn't, she'd never eat again. Of course, Sachi never really fulfilled these promises to herself. She'd always be back the next day, physically and mentally exhausted, her mother and brother worried sick. It made Sachi furious with herself, because she really truly wanted to improve herself. What if her family needed her some day?

And Sachi had the feeling they had needed her. She had the feeling they had been powerless against something- _someone_ and they needed her help. But where was she? Even she didn't know.

Sachi continued watching Gaara. But then, something she didn't expect in the least happened. Without a warning, several kunai flew from almost nowhere, aimed at Gaara. Sachi wanted to react quickly, to save the day, but her senses shut off. She had no clue what to do or how to help or if she even was needed. But whatever force that protected Gaara decided for her. A barricade of sand flew to Gaara's aid- before Sachi even blinked.

Here was another scenario in which Sachi was no help. Would it always end like this? Would she ever find someone to need her? But she did have someone who needed her, she thought, and he was right in front of her, lost and confused and protected by sand. At first, Gaara was wearing a look of shock-which quickly turned to anger. This surprised Sachi. Gaara never was quick to kill- except the drunken man earlier. But that wasn't his nature.

Who was this man trying to kill him? What was his purpose? Sachi thought. Had someone held a grudge against Gaara? Her thoughts were running wild. But instead of thinking any longer, Sachi decided to act. Or perhaps it was her heart that took control, instead of her brain. Or perhaps it was true friendship, or love, or the thousand other things Gaara and her shared.

Sachi ran as quickly as she could and stood in front of Gaara. In a way, she was preventing two things from happening: One, Gaara wouldn't get hurt by this mystery assassin, and Two, Gaara wouldn't hurt anybody else.

"Stop right there!" she cried out at the man "What do you think you're doing? WHO ARE YOU?!" Sachi shouted those last two lines as a cover up for how scared she really was. Being only six, you have a few options when you reach a difficult situation- Freeze in terror, like Sachi had done before, or put up a show of power, like Sachi was trying to do right now. Sachi performed a quick handsign and shouted "Gekitsuugan!" By activating her Kekkei Genkai, Sachi had shown this man she would do anything for Gaara. Sachi thought it might be best to reassure Gaara. She knew he was angry, confused, and sad. His emotions said it. When Sachi looked back at him, her eyes turned brown- a mix of mainly bad emotions. Her eyes would turn pink when it was a mix of happy, good emotions.

"Don't worry!" Smiled Sachi, trying to reassure herself as much as she was reassuring Gaara, "It'll be one hundred percent fine." When Sachi saw Gaara's nervous, sad, angry face, it hurt her. Not because she thought her emotions were aimed at her, but because it alarmed her to see him so hurt. They were very close, and Gaara had never been afraid to be open to her. But he never showed emotion openly in public. It was always a straight face- though Sachi could still see what he was feeling if she was really confused by using her Gekitsuugan.

It was funny. This was the first time Sachi had used her Gekitsuugan since before she had come here. She had almost forgotten about it, and that scared her. She had forgotten the majority of her past, but she absolutely could NOT forget her jutsu- they were her life. By practicing them, she almost felt like she wasn't so alone. It kept her in a surreal sort of state- as if life was on standby.

But life wasn't on standby- in fact, it was moving very fast. And Sachi was still standing, unprotected, in front of Gaara. She knew he didn't need her protection- that was the sand's purpose. But it was just like with her mother and brother in the perspective that she had something to live for when she felt like she could protect them. Maybe this was not the end, but perhaps the beginning of something so much better then what she had before.

Thanks for reading! I hope it was long enough, and sorry about the typos in the last chapter. I'll fix them as soon as I can, but right now I'm sneaking this chapter on, seeing as I've been grounded from the computer, but that's another story. Thanks for the reviews so far and more reviews would be appreciated- constructive criticism is welcome and heck, flame if you want. Whatevz.


	7. Last Sentiment

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But if you happen to see Gaara on Ebay… Give me a call.

"Hmm." Came the voice of Gaara's mysterious would- be assassin. That's when Sachi knew. This man had the same feelings and the same voice and the same pain that HE had had. Could it be…?

"Yashamaru?" Sachi's voice came out tense and almost scared sounding. "What are you doing?" Sachi heard a gasp from behind. She quickly turned to look and saw Gaara look down.

"Why…?" Came Gaara's muffled voice. Sachi glared at Yashamaru, expecting the worst. But, what had changed? Gaara had never been rude or impolite or violent with Yashamaru- he had trusted him! And Sachi had begun to as well. Even so, now was not the time to be analyzing the situation, it was the time to be participating in it. It was time for Sachi to put her Gekitsuugan to work- something she had never done before in a real fight.

And the three kunai whizzing at her told her it was time. She quickly knocked the kunai out of the air using her own confused emotions as a shield. Then, She ran as fast as a six year old could, and took a little of her own pain- shock, brokenness, anger at herself- and hurled it at Yashamaru. Now, it wasn't as if this wasn't enough pain- Sachi had lots of it. But, Sachi didn't have a lot of experience in actual combat, and was still a little shaken.

The burst of pain went directly toward Yashamaru and clung on like a leech, sinking into his body. This always, always, always, burned. And whatever emotion you put into someone, the emotions that might block it get sent out. For example, right now Sachi could see the majority of Yashamaru's confidence, happiness, and pride slowly rise off of him and fade away. But, Yashamaru wouldn't give up. Sachi would take away his confidence, but not his determination.

Sachi tried to do that move her brother did, where he'd be sitting one place at one time and, if he ran as fast as possible, he'd up one place a second later- and all Sachi ever saw was a blur. She ran as hard and fast as her body would let her- but it wasn't enough. She was just looking like an idiot and letting down her defense. Suddenly, Gaara stood up. A new look was in his eyes- murderous.

"No," He spoke quietly "NO." his voice got a bit louder "You can't be Yashamaru…" And he raised his hand up, causing Yashamaru to be lifted up in sand.

"Gaara, Wait…!" Sachi cried, and ran over desperately to Gaara, grabbing his other hand and squeezing it gently. "It its Yashamaru," she spoke, in a calm voice "Believe me…"

But something else had already taken over Gaara. This wasn't Gaara, Sachi thought, this was a monster. How could she get Gaara back? But it was too late. Gaara squeezed the hand in the air closed, causing Yashamaru's blood to be splattered everywhere. That was when Gaara gained control again.

"No…" came his soothing voice, but in a tragic, heartbroken way. "Yashamaru?" And then he saw the bandages on the would-be assassin's arms- the same Yashamaru had. Tears streaked down his face. "Yashamaru, why?" Sachi wished she could know too. She used her still-activated Gekitsuugan to pull the some of the sadness and anger and confusion out of Gaara. His body seemed to cling to it, but it came out after a bit. Only a small amount came out, but Sachi could tell it had relieved him a bit. But then Yashamaru decided to ruin it all.

"I hated you." He said, his voice slightly hoarse, but loud enough for Sachi to hear "You took the life of my sister, and for that I hated you. I tried to love you like my sister did, but the truth is, I couldn't. I can't love you, and neither can anyone else. No one has every loved you."

"That's not true." Came a small voice from behind Gaara. Sachi had nowhere to put Gaara's pain- except herself. So she now understood his pain. The way he was sure that he had just destroyed his chances at a normal life, the way he was sure Sachi would hate him now- like all the others. And that wasn't even half of it. "He's my best friend, and will always be." Gaara looked at her, his eyes glistening with tears. He didn't have to say anything. The look he gave her clearly said: Do you really mean it? Sachi nodded.

Yashamaru looked from Sachi to Gaara.

"Love only yourself, fight only for yourself." – Yashamaru's last sentiment before he closed his eyes and breathed one last time.

Sachi looked at Gaara. Gaara had tears streaming down his face. He just kept trying to hide the pain inside, and one day, he would explode-Sachi knew this from personal experience. Sachi ran over to Gaara and hugged him. She sat there and hugged and hugged and hugged. But little did Gaara know, Sachi still had her Kekkei Genkai activated, and she was sucking the pain out of him with every second. Eventually, she could see a huge ball develop in her hands. She shot it at a nearby flower basket, and watched all the flowers wilt away.

Gaara was now in a sort of numb, scared state. Sachi picked him up and groaned a bit under the pressure. Gaara wasn't overweight, but a six year old carrying a six year old was no easy task. Sachi and Gaara were probably around the same weight, except Sachi was a bit thinner, perhaps. But, she had practiced lifting heavy things and running and jumping all those days before she came to Suna. It was actually odd how Gaara seemed to become lighter and lighter as Sachi walked with him more.

Sachi looked at Gaara, and realized he was just staring into space, like a vacant statue. His face was as blank as the little sketchpad her mother had given her in vain hopes Sachi would stop writing on the walls. It never did work. He should have become heavier, but the going was getting mush, much easier. She still saw that pain radiateing off of him, wondering if he new that bottling pain inside led you too explode any given time. Sachi almost smiled as she remembered what she had done to cope with everything.

It had been a bright late August afternoon, and Sachi was outside playing in the back yard. Well, playing was what she liked to call it- her brother called it physical torture. It wasn't actually torture, of course- it was training. Well, if you called punching a wood stake twice your height and maybe 3 times your weight over 100 times training. It was excruciating- and it left her knuckles bloody and red. Her mother, of course, never found out, thanks to her secretiveness, but her brother almost told a few times. Sachi had easily been able to hide the scars on her knuckles by wearing a pair of lavender gloves that went a bit past her knuckles. Purple was her lucky, favorite color, and lavender was the closest she could get to purple. Her brother had only seen her "play" outside once, when he came home early for ninja school and their mother was in the shower, and didn't know it was a habit. She was only an innocent five year old, but she had a lot of anger.

She had anger at the people who glared at her and sometimes spit at her when she was on the streets. She had anger at the people that beat up her brother and called him names, because he was different. But most of all, she had anger at herself for not being good enough, which most six year olds never even thought about.

Sachi chuckled to herself. He had never been like most six year olds, she thought, looking at Gaara, she had always been different.

All right then. Fanfiction being quite- hard to work with, so as a treat, I'm putting up two chapter (This is the second) as soon as it begins working again. Maybe even a third. Ooh, I bet you can't wait.


	8. A SplitSecond Unwanted Encounter

Disclaimer: I'm like. Super happy about the reviews. Thanks a lot for the compliments, guys! Oh yeah. But. I DON'T OWN NARUTO. But still, If you see Gaara on ebay…

Yet another time skip- Don't worry, this is like… the second to last one? Sorry, but If you wanted me too write about every freaking day of the year… too bad.

Sachi stared into Gaara's eleven-year-old jade green eyes. This would be their last bit of time together before Sachi left, but right now, neither of them knew that. Ignorance is bliss, the very thing that had been happening in this very spot ever since it started just a few years ago…

FLASHBACK

"Gaaaaarrrrraaaa." Sachi groaned playfully. "If you walk any slower, that snail will pass you by!" She giggled a bit at this, but hung back with Gaara so he wouldn't get left behind. This was a very exciting day, and both Sachi and Gaara Even if he wouldn't show it were thrilled. They'd both be signing up at the ninja academy! Sachi had waited for so long to be able to go to a ninja school, just like the brother she'd always loved and missed sorely. It took a huge piece of her when he left, and Sachi might be able to fill that hole somewhat up with this ninja training.

"Hn." Gaara spoke, seemingly annoyed. But Sachi could tell he was excited. Not because she had her Gekitsuugon on, but because there was nothing too, well, not be happy about! It was definitely going to be one of the best moments in both of their lives. Sachi could already imagine Gaara and herself fighting against evil and opposing villages for the rest of their lives. They'd grow up and get married- it would be so great!

It was amazing, the knowledge of people Sachi had at such as young age. She knew all about emotions, behaviors, and characteristics of people. She had gotten to the point where she could almost read some people's minds without even activating her Gekitsuugon. She was almost proud of herself now, at how much she had improved. She might even be able to rival her brother… if he was still alive. It amazed her how she hadn't been able to find out her brother's whereabouts for all this time. She had always wanted to go look for him, but she wanted to stay with Gaara as well…

Sachi began skipping along the path as they got closer and closer to the ninja school. The path they took had a large amount of loose stones, so it was risky, but Sachi didn't care. As she skipped along past Gaara, she forgot herself. The wind- if there was one- was flowing in her shoulder length black hair. Her eyes were plain brown right now- no Gekitsuugon or anything, just her natural color. Her mom had always said if you listened, the wind would speak to you. And perhaps the wind was speaking to Sachi right now? She almost giggled at the thought of it. No, that would be silly.

Sachi was gliding along at a steady pace when a loose rock on the path tripped her. She fell forward, almost flat on her face, but instead, collided into something. For a fraction of a second, Sachi saw a man as pale as death itself standing in front of her. His snake-like tongue darted out from behind his lips, which were pursed in a tight smirk right now. And a second later, he was gone.

"Sachi? Are you…okay?" Gaara hurried his pace a bit. Sachi was almost paralyzed with fear, but was sure she had just been seeing things. Why on earth would a pale snake-man THING just randomly appear out of nowhere and smirk at her? She was probably going crazy. A smile touched the corner of her lips as she envisioned herself in a mental ward, talking to herself about snake men and rocks. It actually was quite a disturbing picture, but it calmed Sachi down.

"Ha." She laughed, a little dazed from her fear and the fall "I'm fine…." And they both kept walking. It wasn't like Gaara to carry on about something. If Sachi said she was fine, she didn't usually mean it, but they had a deal. It wasn't an actual deal, more like a silent agreement. Sachi never asked Gaara too much about his actions, and Gaara returned the favor. But they still knew all each other's secrets.

Before Sachi had learned about Shukaku, she had always been a bit curious about why Gaara was always awake before her. She had always been an early riser, though not really a morning person. She wasn't very talkative in the morning, and Gaara accepted that. But, day after day, no matter what, Gaara was already still awake and waiting for her. Sachi hadn't been too curious about the sand- she thought it was just a cool jutsu. But it was odd how he seemed to be able to summon it without even a simple handsign.

Sachi did feel bad, however, because she knew all of Gaara's past, but he knew very little of hers. It was, of course, because she knew very little of her own past, but she still felt bad. She felt as if she was cheating Gaara in some way. Like, he would tell her anything, but she remained a closed book. But she couldn't help it- she told him everything she knew. So far, all she knew was she had a mother, a brother, and at least one of them had met a horrible demise. She wasn't even sure if they had died- she just knew something had happened to them- or her. She woke up screaming and crying some nights- and Gaara had been there. He'd come into her room, sit there, silent as always, and hold her hand. Not a word was spoken, but Sachi could feel his presence when she had horrible dreams- and it seemed to block out the pain.

"Why hello there, darling! What might you need?" Sachi heard the voice of a young female ninja. She then realized she was at the academy. Gaara was nowhere to be seen- probably afraid he might scare everyone away if he came. So Sachi took a deep breath and hoped she would have enough courage to do this.

"Hello! I'm here to sign up for ninja school!"

END FLASHBACK

So now here Sachi was, about the leave the same ninja school she and Gaara had trained at for years. Tomorrow they would be put into teams- a huge deal. This was the day Sachi had been waiting forever since she signed up for ninja school at the academy. She knew she might not get a team with Gaara, but then again, maybe she would! Possibilities were endless, something Sachi had learned to love- or hate.

"Are you… are you nervous?" Sachi managed to ask, breaking the silence, if only for a moment. Gaara shook his head. In fact, he was excited. He would prove himself to millions of people. Someday, he'd show everyone. All the people who had hated him for no reason, called him a monster, left him so alone… he'd get revenge. This would be his chance.

"Are you?" Gaara asked, jerking his head in Sachi's direction, only to find she was looking at him intently. Studying his features. She looked away, cheeks turning red in embarrassment, and nodded. Not just nervous, but terrified. She was confident, sure, and she didn't doubt her skills. But she just wondered if Gaara would be okay. She knew he could look after himself, but she… she loved him. She needed something to protect- she'd had that need her whole life. It was time she started fulfilling it.


	9. When Kekkei Genkai Combine

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Naruto: Dang straight

Hey wait. I thought you left?

Naruto: NOPE! BELI-

Gaara: Don't even.

It was late. Darkness blanketed Suna, the taller buildings seeming to touch the stars. Sachi laid in her bed, wondering when sleep would come to her. This had been occurring more and more lately, this lack of sleep. But by not sleeping, she didn't have the nightmares. Those horrible dreams she had been having lately, plunging into depths of her mind she was not ready to accept yet. It was alarming, these images she didn't know she even had. The only thing these nightmares had accomplished was showing her what she had dreaded about her past.

It had gone on for a week or so, until Sachi wasn't able to take it anymore. She tried to stay awake at night, to prevent these nightmares. What else was an eleven year old too do? Most young kids would go straight to their mother's room when they had a bad dream- but she couldn't. She had no mother, and no way to escape.

Sachi gave up trying to lie in bed. It was hopeless, if she was to stay awake. As she walked out of her room, she wondered where Gaara was. He couldn't be sleeping, Sachi knew that. She wandered into the kitchen and saw a note on the table.

_Gaara,_

_I haven't been able to sleep lately, and I got up to stretch my legs. Meet me at the park, and we can talk._

_Sachi_

What was this? Sachi hadn't written this! Yet there it was, he name signed at the bottom in her quick, small symbols. She knew immediately something was wrong, and it was going to stir up a lot of trouble. She grabbed her kunai, slid into khakis, keeping on her plain blue tee. She hid her kunai in a pouch, concealed in her pocket. Whoever was after either her of Gaara mustn't know she was onto them.

A blast of cold air met her when she walked outside. This wasn't normal cold air, though. This was evil, cursed cold air. Like a horrible fate was awaiting Sachi, even though she had done nothing wrong.

"I see you're awake." Came the seemingly bored, cruel voice of a man who Sachi could not completely see. He was just a silhouette in the light of the moon. But Sachi had this strange feeling she knew this man. Then it hit her. This was the man she had ran into so many years ago, who smirked at her and disappeared.

"What do you want?" She snarled. "_Sharingan!_"She whispered, so the man could barely hear. Her eyes turned blood red, and Sachi automatically prepared to defend herself. Why would she defend, and not fight? Because this man was dangerous. She just knew, in her heart. This was where the cold breeze was coming from- this man.

"What I want? Oh, I don't know. I was just taking a stroll and…" He trailed off, his gaze drifting to Sachi's eyes. "The Sharingan? So it is true…" He mumbled to himself.

"What- Do- You- WANT?" Sachi shouted, exasperated. This man was either incredibly stupid or incredibly clever. Either way, he was annoying the heck out of Sachi, and it was getting increasingly hard to control her temper.

"Oh dear, what a hot head." He said in a mocking tone, smirking. He was enjoying this. Sachi would've just killed him, except she really did want to know what he wanted. Sachi deactivated her sharingan and smiled disarmingly.

"Oh dear, what a moron." She snapped back angrily, though still smiling, and holding his gaze. "Now tell me what you want. You wrote that note in the kitchen, right? What for? Where's Gaara?" Speaking of Gaara, she wished he was here right now. He'd make this old fool go away. _Well, _Sachi thought to herself, _He may be old, but he's certainly no fool. _She could say that again. This pompous jerk had her right where he wanted her- angry and curious and confused. All that "good" stuff.

"Yes, I wrote the note. My name is Orochimaru. And what I want," he spoke, taking a step forward, his tongue snaking from behind his lips. _Snaking _Sachi though, taking a step back _That's what it was. He's like a snake. I remember! _"Is you." Sachi tried her hardest to remain expressionless, but it was too hard. A short, scared gasp escaped her lips. Her? What for?

She wasn't important or significant or…

"Why?" She heard herself say. It was second nature to her to ask questions- to ask why, to want to know things. Sachi hadn't always been the energetic one. She used to be quiet, almost never talking. The only word she'd say, if she chose to speak, was "Why?"

Usually, it was in reference to her mother leaving at night, her brother getting into fights, getting dirty glares when she walked with her mother to the grocery store or to restaurants. But she rarely used this word anymore- not with Gaara. She'd give him time to tell her, all on his own.

"Because." He said pointedly, simply "you have what I need." Sachi wondered, exactly, what this was. "Your kekkei genkai." He said, sensing her question "You have not only one but two, and you're alive and able to use both of them at will almost flawlessly. Except- you need work on them. And that's why I want you. I want to improve you." It sounded to simple. Sachi learned how most people meant more then they said, and usually they left out the bad part.

"Why should I let you help me? I'm fine here, and besides, Gaara…" She trailed off. He wouldn't understand. Gaara needed her. It was simple. She couldn't go. Especially if it meant leaving Gaara behind. You see, ever since the night Yashamaru died, Gaara and Sachi became inseparable. Sachi finally felt needed, as did Gaara. Some people think everyone is half a person, just walking around, until they die- then they become complete. But not Sachi and Gaara. Together, they were one person. They were, as Sachi dreamed from the day she met Gaara, perfect for each other. A perfect fit. It was as if both of them were now complete.

"Because," Orochimaru stated blandly again "I have something you've wanted all your life in Suna. Something you've missed greatly." Sachi's eyes widened. Could he mean…? "Yes, Sachi. I mean your brother. He's alive." Yes! He was alive! Sachi couldn't wait to see him. She envisioned it all- a warm reunion. Dai would be so proud of her! She could now use her Sharingan, just like him. But wait. What if it was a trap? And what about Gaara?

"How do I know you're telling me the truth? And once again, what about Gaara…?" Orochimaru smirked. _Damnit,_ Sachi thought, _If he smirks one more freaking time… _He pulled out a sketchpad. The word "SACHI" was written on it, in crooked, four year old handwriting. Her sketchpad? Only Dai would have that…

"See? He had this when I found him. And as for Gaara, I told him. He's completely fine with it." Sachi had a hard time believing this.

"I'll go ask him, just in case…" She said hopefully, turning the opposite way, taking a step towards the park "I want to say goodbye." Orochimaru grabbed her hand, preventing her from going any farther.

"It's now," he said, smirking (_Damn HIM, _Sachi thought) "Or never."

Hey guys! Hope you liked it. It's a bit odd, and maybe short, but it took me a while to get it out. I've been having some MAJOR writer's block, but I am sooooo over it. Make sure you read my _To Wish Upon A Star _fanfic. It's a work in progress, like this lovely piece of art. Hope you liked it!


	10. Hello, Kabuto!

Disclaimer: The rumors are true. I don't own Naruto. Dx

"Okay…" Sachi said, her voice shaking "Now." And that was that. She found herself fall, slowly to the ground, her legs unable to bend, and save her. She floated to the ground, like a leaf, and soon felt a pair of arms pick up her frail figure.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Orochimaru's Lair 

Sachi lay on a hard surface. She opened her eyes slowly, waiting for everything to come into focus. She was in a small room, with very little in it other then herself, a shabby cot, some weights, and a thick wooden post, just like Sachi used to practice with at home. Sachi looked at where she was- on the floor. There was a hard metal floor, and Sachi was bit upset she hadn't been put on the cot.

Sachi wanted to get up and start training right away. It sounded stupid, but it was the only constructive way she had to rid herself of unwanted emotions. She tried to get up, but was far too tired to move. So she just lied there, on the ground in the middle of the room. She thought about training and seeing her brother and what Gaara would think of her when she came back. She realized Orochimaru had been lying to her about saying she had left to him.

Gaara wasn't one to talk to strangers. In fact, he wasn't one to look at strangers. He never had been very social, and the accusing villagers that seemed to flock to him wherever he went hadn't helped. And, Gaara would never listen to this man. He was no different then the other people in his village- seemingly harmless, but secretly vicious. Maybe they had had the same thing happen to them as kids. Maybe that's why they did it to Gaara. _No, _popped a little voice in Sachi's head, _they do it because he's different. _

Probably. Adults, and even kids seemed to do whatever they wanted. They didn't ever get scolded when they made fun of Gaara. But, if they played tag with a friend, and accidentally pushed the friend down, mayhem would occur. Then Sachi figured it out. Gaara is their punching bag. Their way to take out stress, without feeling guilty. She wondered why they chose Gaara. He never would have done anything bad on purpose, or if they had been nice to him. In fact, Gaara had never tried to hurt Sachi in the least bit since they had met.

But that was beside the point. Gaara never listened to anyone but Sachi and himself- and once Yashamaru. But that was it. So Gaara wouldn't have listened, even if this man, Orochimaru, had really come to tell him Sachi was going. But, what could he even tell him? Sachi hadn't said yes yet. She knew Orochimaru wouldn't lift a finger for either her or Gaara. So why bother lying to her? He had wanted her to come.

_Yes, _Sachi thought,_ He came for me. He said he wanted ME. _But why was that again? Her kekkei genkai. He wanted her so he could have her kekkei genkai? It wasn't possible to extract that sort of thing from a person. So why did he really need her? Maybe he just wanted to examine the kekkei genkai. Maybe she'd be a sort of freak exhibit at some circus or zoo. Locked in a cage, with people around her laughing. Sachi shuddered at the thought.

But, if this Orochimaru guy could find a way, somehow, to take her kekkei genkai- he could have them. She would give him everything she had, just to see Gaara and Dai again. But for now, she had to be strong, she guessed. It was always important to remain strong. When you find yourself in difficult situations, act like they don't affect you. It might be a lie, and it might hurt you worse inside- but it was important.

Some people- most people, actually- can smell fear. They can sense when you're insecure, and pounce; just like that. Sachi had a feeling this man would be no different. Perhaps it was human nature to attack the weaker- or maybe it was nature to everyone- except Gaara. She had been lost and confused when he and Yashamaru took her in, and he had befriended her. And what had she done to him? Left him, alone and friendless, not deserving a bit of the pain he was probably in right now.

Sachi scoffed at the thought. It was selfish of her. She always assumed that HE needed HER, when, really, it was the other way around. Without Gaara, Sachi would have nowhere to turn. She'd be alone and scared, not really ever knowing what was going on in this fragile little world she called home. But then again, she wasn't sure if she was ready to call it home.

The door creaked in the little room, which suddenly reminded Sachi of a prison cell, waking Sachi from her thoughts. She raised her head, and lifted an eyebrow. The man who entered the room was not Orochimaru. This man was mature looking, with small glasses resting on his nose, which he pushed up when he saw Sachi examining them, and white- maybe silver?- hair pulled back into a small ponytail. He wore a smile on his face, but something Sachi knew well was that looks can be deceiving.

"Hello!" He said cheerily, smiling and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I'm Kabuto." That smile was almost as annoying as Orochimaru's smirk. Sachi began wondering if this smile was fake. Maybe she should fake smile at him, just too return the gesture? In her head, she compiled a list of things she had to smile about for real. Well, for starters, she was alive. She would see her brother. She would train. She'd get better at everything, no longer be a failure to her other and brother, and the father she never knew. So she smiled. It wasn't a full smile. She kept her mouth closed, and gave this Kabuto person a weak smile.

"Hi Kabuto, I'm Sachi." Kabuto nodded, getting he understood.

"Okay, Sachi" He said, saying her name slowly, as if tasting the sound on his lips. She hoped he liked her name. She didn't know this man, but he seemed friendly enough. Besides, Sachi needed a friend. She didn't know how long she would be in this place, or even fully shy she was needed her. Maybe this… Kabuto… maybe he'd help her out?

She needed it.

Hey guys! Thanks for reading! My brother and dad are both sick with mono, and I'm not feeling well at all either. So, remember kids- keep your drinks to yourself! Or, in my brother's case, don't make out with your girlfriend if she had mono. -; Review, please!


	11. What's At Stake

Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I'm sorry I didn't write this LAST NIGHT it was just I was babysitting. The kid was actually very well behaved. Okay, so, here it is? Yeah.

OH RIGHT.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Whoopsies…

Sweat dripped down Sachi's forehead. She quickly put her arm up in defense from a kunai swiftly headed her way. It was soft tipped, so it didn't hurt as much, but this time after time could get quite bothersome. She dodged to the left, but her opponent quickly followed and continued sending the kunai her way. She had tried dodging several times before, but it hadn't worked. So why had she tried it again? She was desperate. What hurt even more then her opponent's kunai were his words.

"So this is what I get? Hmmph. And I thought you were skilled." Yep, she was training against Orochimaru. He was definitely better then her, but he didn't need to rub it in! Sachi practiced long, hard hours to be able to succeed, but she guessed all of that had gone to waste- though she still had a trick or two up her sleeve.

"Sharingan!" She whispered. After her sharingan was activated, she seemed to move much faster. It was insane, she knew, how much she depended on her kekkei genkai to get out of bad situations. She hoped Orochimaru would back off when she activated her sharingan. But, apparently, that was what he wanted to see. Smirking, he disappeared, causing Sachi to pause for a moment. _Think, _Sachi tried to focus, though she was sure she could hear her heart beating in her ears, _Where is he? Behind me? No, too predictable… I have it!_

Sachi darted to the left just in time to dodge the barrage of POINTED kunai that seemed to be raining on the spot she had previously inhabited.

"So," Orochimaru's voice cut through the silence "You are better then I gave you credit for. We'll see, we'll see." And he disappeared before Sachi could say another word- well, actually, before she could say a word. She hadn't said a word to Orochimaru during the training.

And this was how it was. Sachi had been at Orochimaru's "Lair" for almost a year now. They trained constantly, and she couldn't say she hadn't improved. Orochimaru was definitely a difficult opponent to defeat. He had mastered many jutsus, and didn't even have to try to defeat Sachi. She didn't mind getting beaten so many times in a row, or the marks the kunai- fake or real- left all over her body. She did, however, loathe his words. He put her down, telling her she would never amount to anything if she didn't try harder. And she was beginning to believe him.

Sachi began training on her own, as well as with Orochimaru, 400 sit-ups minimum per day- no food or water until she was finished with them. Kabuto often supplied her source of food. She was not allowed anywhere but her room and the training room, which was next door. She wondered why these limits had been set, and then understood that Orochimaru didn't trust her yet. She had come a long time ago, and had still not seen her brother.

Maybe Orochimaru wanted to build up trust in her. He did not seem like the kind of person to trust anyone, except maybe Kabuto. So how would she gain his trust? She wanted to go outside of this place. She wanted to see her brother, she wanted to see Dai… But how?

The answer presented itself to Sachi the next day. _Mm, _Sachi thought as she looked out the small window placed in her "room", _A beautiful day. _And it was. The sun streamed in the window, sending it's light rays all across the room. Sachi was soaking up the sun rays, when a light knock ended the silence. She expected to see Kabuto at the door, pushing up his glasses, bringing her food. But, instead, when the door opened, she saw Orochimaru.

"You're coming with me today, okay? Keep your wits about you." Sachi nodded. "Okay?" Sachi responded, confused.

"You will call me Lord Orochimaru. You will represent me. If I tell you too kill, you will kill. If I tell you too stop, you will stop. I control you. If," he said, pretending to hesitate, "You ever want to see that Gaara boy and your brother alive." When Sachi replied with a gasp, he did that horrible, gut-churning smirk. Then Sachi realized something she had been very blind to before- Orochimaru did, undoubtedly, control her life.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." She was in no mood to argue, especially with Orochimaru. Her stomach hurt a huge amount, and she had a feeling her stomach lining had torn. But, pain was part of life, and Sachi learned she must accept it far earlier on in life. With a nod, Orochimaru walked out the door, meaning Sachi should follow him. So she did. There was nothing really special outside of her room, Sachi learned. It was a plain room; white walls, cement floor. There was no laboratory, or dead bodies, or something that you might except to see in a place like Orochimaru's. Then Sachi stepped outside and realized that obviously Orochimaru's lab wouldn't be so close to where he chose to let her sleep. It was probably underground somewhere, or something like that.

Orochimaru raced through trees and foliage, going at an inhuman speed. So naturally, Sachi could keep up. Speed was a strength of hers, and the only thing she could almost match Orochimaru at. They were racing through forests and plains and so on for a long time, before they finally came to a stop. It was a hill overlooking a large forest.

"They call it the Forest Of Death." Orochimaru said, speaking for the first time in a long time. It was hard to hear him, though, because Sachi was panting so long. How many villages had they gone through? She was exhausted! "Quit that panting, weakling. It only gets harder from here on out." And with that, they sped off towards the forest, going so fast they were undetected.

Arriving finally in the forest, Orochimaru motioned for Sachi too be silent, and she obeyed. She was filled with fear of messing up, and having Gaara or Dai killed before she could say goodbye, or even, in Dai's case, hello. Orochimaru left Sachi alone by herself, leaving the forest. There was the occasional rustling of grass and so on, but Sachi was relatively sure there was no one in the forest except herself.

What seemed like hours later, though was probably only an hour or so, Orochimaru came back. Well, she thought was Orochimaru. It was a female grass ninja, with a menacing look on her face. She motioned for Sachi too follow her, meaning she was definitely Orochimaru. But how had he…? Wonders never ceased.

Sachi followed the ninja, and was then once again left alone. She heard people pass by occasionally, but she was high up in the trees, and an excellent person at hiding, so no one noticed her.

Then Sachi heard a crash, which she remembered, as Orochimaru had said before, on the trip here, was her cue. So she did what she had been told to do- she sprung in to action. Maybe she wouldn't screw this up- maybe…

Hey guys! Took me FOREVER too put this up, but you know, it's hard.

Final exams and such. xD


	12. Winners And Losers: Whose Fault?

Disclaimer: Hey, I hope you read this. Uh. Well, you will read this, seeing as you're reading THIS. But uh. I don't own Naruto. So. Buy him for me.

"This is Sachi." Orochimaru's voice slid into the silence. Sachi was standing next to "Lord" Orochmaru, in front of 2 kids, around her age. One of them was a girl with pink and that stupid, stunned look on her face. The other was a boy with black hair and a serious look on his face. He had a kunai in his hand, which he looked like he could wield well. He also had another thing- the Sharingan.

Sachi looked at Orochimaru in question. Was THIS Dai? She hoped not. This kid looked as if he had been through a lot. His eyes reminded her of Gaara's, and even her own. They had a certain hurt in them. She didn't want to hurt him, so she didn't activate her Gekitsuugon. But what else was there, then? She dared not activate her Sharingan. That would show that she was related to this boy, and she had been trying to shove that thought to the back of her head the second she had set eyes upon him.

"She is my personal… assistant" Orochimaru spoke once more. "She will not hesitate to destroy you, at my command. She doesn't want to though, does she?" Oeochimaru did something even more menacing then his smirk- he laughed. It wasn't' a forced laugh, either. He was clearly thrilled at her pain. "She is completely under my command. But, she has power. Power you would not believe, Sasuke. And you want to know why, Sasuke? Because I made it so. And I can give you power, just like that." She bet Orochimaru had been thinking of what to say for a long time. The speech he was giving was flawless. Sachi tried not to flinch, or even breath, just so she wouldn't disturb his monologue. "Now then, Sachi- Attack. But, try to leave the boy alive. The girl? I don't really care what you do with her."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." Sachi stated, as blandly as she could. She shot both the girl and the boy, who were now staring, dumbfounded, at her a sympathetic look she hoped Lord Orochimaru hadn't seen. Great, now she was referring to him as Lord Orochimaru in her thoughts, too. Maybe that was how he controlled you. He got into your mind. But that wasn't what was important right now.

Sachi disappeared among the foliage, appearing seconds later underneath the girl. She had summoned the chakra to her feet, and was clinging to the tree limb on both legs. She shot up, catching the girl by surprise, and sent a barrage of kunai at the girl. This surprised the girl, but not the boy. The boy, who Lord Orochimaru (Again!) had called Sasuke jumped in front of the girl.

"Get down Sakura!" he yelled anxiously, blocking the kunai. Then, Sachi couldn't help it. She activated her Gekitsuugon. Seeing Gaara and Dai was more important to her then this boy being scarred for life. She searched his soul for something useful; an emotion long tucked away he hoped never to relive again. Then she saw it- pain. He had it hidden, deep into the depths of his soul. Her eyes spiraled yellow and red- anger and sadness. Then she saw a string of words- "The last Uchiha" But, that wasn't true… It was all she had to go by, though. So she went by it.

"So this is what I get from the _last Uchiha?_" Sachi spoke, forcing a snigger. "If you ever plan to get any better, I suggest you try and attack me. I honestly expected more. Is that what all Uchihas are like?" And she took pain from her own soul and threw it into his. She knew if he didn't feel more pain, his anger would flare up too dangerously, and that might be more then Sachi could handle.

This Sasuke boy, however, seemed to be boiling at a danger level. He seemed immune to the large amount of pain Sachi had just thrown at him. He was furious, and Sachi didn't think things looked too good. She quickly deactivated her sharingan and darted behind a tree. Sasuke looked around, trying not to leave any part of himself unguarded. One mistake from either party could result in an ended life.

"Sasuke..." Sakura, the pink haired girl whispered "I'm… scared." And Sachi felt something tug on her heart. This girl was afraid… of her? Just like she used to be afraid. No- this girl was like everyone else. She was just like the people who gave her dirty looks. In fact, whoever she was, she could've been one of the people who killed her mother. Sachi knew this girl didn't kill her mother, but she was just like the people that did, though.

That's when Sachi got angry. She had trained for this moment, worked so hard. Her hands and feet had been bruised and battered from training so hard; even as a little girl. And now, the moment had arrived- revenge. She could wreak havoc… she could do anything. She could toy with these people's lives just like everyone else had done to her family.

Sachi took a deep breath and began to give in to her dark thoughts. Her eyes were turning pure black; she was no longer in control. She sped from behind the tree, throwing a kunai at the girl. It caught her in the left shoulder. The girl let out a cry and began to fall. But, Sasuke was there just in time and caught her before she neared the ground. Sachi saw this and felt another tug on her heart.

_Gaara._

The word repeated over and over in her head, but she shook it off. If she was ever to see him again, she must be strong. So her eyes turned completely black again and she spiraled around and around Sasuke, jumping from tree to tree at an untraceable speed. Except- he had his Sharingan activated, so it was far more difficult too trick him. So she focused more on the girl.

She threw several more kunai at the girl, with a strong emotion of emotional pain she had put in them earlier. Sasuke managed to block most of them, but two hit the girl. She cried out once more- one was in her leg, one was in her shoulder, right next to the one Sachi had thrown before. Sachi could see the girl's eyes tear up, and something happened that made Sachi KNOW she was not herself anymore- she smiled. The girl now had tears rolling down her cheeks in vast amounts, and it caused Sachi joy. Know this girl felt her pain- and she had cried! Pathetic. It gave Sachi strength.

So she moved to the boy. She hadn't been focusing on him, and was shocked when a huge amount of flaming kunai flew at her from behind. She blocked most of them with a kunai she had drawn to hit Sasuke with,, but some of them buried deep into her flesh, still flaming. A gasp of shock escaped her mouth, but she quickly swiped the pain away and threw it at Sasuke- well, half of it. She darted behind him and threw the rest at his back. He blocked the part in front- but the rest hit him from behind. He stumbled forward, and then fell to his knees. Sachi saw immense sadness begin to take over him. And, for the second time with this boy -and the second time over all- she saw words.

"Not Good Enough"

"All right Sachi, that's enough. Now, Sasuke," Orochimaru said, his neck gaining length immensely. "Remember what I said." Then orochimaru did the unthinkable- he bit Sasuke, leaving a cursed mark on his neck. Sachi almost closed her eyes, but she couldn't- it might mess up her chances at seeing Dai and Gaara. She just returned to Orochimaru's side, like a slave to her master.

What had happened to her?

Before leaving, Sachi looked at the boy, catching his eye.

"Sharingan" She whispered, turning her eyes red. She gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry." She drew out the pain from Sakura and the pain in Sasukes back, and even some from his curse mark, throwing it a nearby tree, which then withered. And she nodded, speeding off.

Her heart healed then, if just a little bit.

Thanks for reading kids! Review, all that lovely stuff. I feel like this tory is really going places. So, uh. Yeah.

I'll probably be writing a lot of it lately.


	13. Partings and Greetings

Disclaimer: OH BABY. I DO NOTT OWN NARUTO. Anyway. Uh, read and review. Hope you enjoy it, cos uh. I do. o.o there is …(gasp!) Another time skip, but this is the last one taking place any time soon, I believe.

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Sachi licked the blood off her kunai. She had only had to make one clean cut to kill this one- simple prey. It was a man, about 5'11, with brown hair and green eyes- though they were opened wide and fading in death right now. He had a slash across his throat, courtesy of Sachi, and a shocked look on his face.

Sachi had been assigned this man by Orochimaru. He was supposedly "a training subject"- just another random individual Orochimaru thought might be challenging. But he underestimated her. This work, this "training" he assigned her was child's play. And besides, what was she training for? She had gone on her first mission to the Forest Of Death just weeks or less ago. What else was there Orochimaru wanted her to do?

He still hadn't let Sachi see Dai or Gaara, but she remained hopeful. She would see them soon- she could feel it. So this was how the weeks had passed. Sachi had been killing someone for "training" almost every day since her first mission with Orochimaru. People began to watch for her, fear her- just like that girl, Sakura, had. They thought she felt no emotions, no feelings.

Which wasn't true. Sachi had more emotions then any of these pitiful people would know. She felt pain, sadness, fear, guilt- all of it. She was a normal kid, except for the fact she was basically a rogue ninja who only let one emotion show when she killed- Happiness. That was mainly why people feared her. She began to laugh when she saw someone die. This was all the world's fault, it was all their fault Sachi's family had been torn apart. It was all their fault…

Sachi continued to believe this. It fueled her, along with the thought she would be reunited with her loved ones soon. It was all that got her by. That- and, she hated to admit it, but killing those people. She was beginning to look forward to it. She never tortured them- always straight to the point. It was a quick death, she made sure. But she still enjoyed it. She had become a monster.

Sachi began to think of how she had become this way. It had started the day she met Orochimaru- she might want to say. But that wouldn't be true. She had wanted people that hurt her too be hurt just as much (or more) for a long time. But that was human nature, right? Except few humans actually acted on this wish. They kept it inside, which Sachi used to be very good at- until now.

With Orochimaru, he encouraged her to hate. She thought this meant she could open up, but she found out that she had actually been closing up. She was a numb assassin, except for the joy she got when she killed someone. Killing was her only way to feel, so she did it constantly, just like Orochimaru wished.

Sachi was finishing up her daily training. She had left the man, dead in pool of his own blood, and headed back to her "room" Orochimaru had not come to train with her today- she assumed he wanted her too be more independent. Or maybe he was just busy? With what, though? Sachi had always wondered what he did. What was his purpose for her? It couldn't really be all this killing. They were random people- or at least that's what Orochimaru told her. Besides, Orochimaru was no stranger to killing- you could tell that by looking at him. Why didn't he do it himself?

Maybe he didn't want people to think it was him. But, Sachi could also tell (just by looking at him, once again!) that he was not the type to have a solid gold reputation. She spent her days pondering this when there was no training to be done- which was rare. Sachi trained and trained, but she had never been able to beat Orochimaru! Maybe it was impossible. Maybe he was like, a god or something. Or, rather, a demon.

And he certainly did look the part. Those horrible slitted eyes that could scare even the best of heroes with just a glance, that wicked purple tongue that often peeked out from behind his lips, as if it had a mind of it's own. She had known him for quite some time- in her opinion- and it still startled her too look at him.

_One hundred fifty, one hundred fifty one. _Sachi counted mentally in her head each time she threw a punch. Her knuckles were bleeding now, but she had to keep going! It was key that she improved. Not just for herself, but for the ones she loved.

"Sachi? Sachi…?" Came a voice from behind the door. It was Kabuto- thank God. Sachi didn't reply though. She just kept punching. She realized now tears were streaming down her face. Why? What was with this sudden weakness? Maybe she was losing it. "Sachi!" Kabuto spoke, his voice raised, showing his authority "Orochimaru requests your presence once again. This is why you've been training. Your time here is finally going to be put too use." Sachi stopped punching. Screw training- she was ready to kill.

She barreled towards the door, opening it swiftly- almost knocking over Kabuto. He pushed up his glasses maturely, gave Sachi a nod, and sped off. Sachi returned the nod, but Kabuto was long gone, so she continued through the room. She did not see Orochimaru at first. But then, there he was, standing in the middle of the plain room.

"Ahh. So glad you decided to join me." Orochimaru said placidly, sending chills up Sachi's spine. "I think we all agree you've been training for some time, right?" He spoke once more, taking a few steps toward Sachi. Sachi dare not respond. Was this a trick? "I see, I see. This is no trick." Orochimaru replied… replied? Had she said her thoughts out loud on accident? "This is the real thing. A mission. And if you mess it up…" he paused "You die."

Sachi gulped. Death? She was not ready to die. But what was there worth living for? She was sure she wouldn't ever see Gaara or Dai. She hadn't thought of them in so long, and Orochimaru's words seemed to confirm her fears- she had lost sight of why she was here. She no longer seemed to care about Gaara or Dai- she just wanted to kill. But it couldn't be! Sachi loved Gaara so very much, and she missed Dai, with all her heart. What if they were both dead by now?

Sachi nodded to Orochimaru. If death was the penalty for messing up, she might just mess up on purpose. For the hell she had put everyone through- Gaara, her family, all those people… she deserved to die.

"All right then." Orochimaru said, accepting her nod. "Let's discuss the plan…"

Enter: Gaara

It had been over a year since he had seen her. He was planning that someday they would get married. They would be a beautiful couple, live in a splendid house, and enjoy each other's company until the day they both died.

But he was sure she didn't want that. Why else would she have left him? Why else would she have gone without saying goodbye? No note, no parting words-nothing. She hated him, but he still loved her. At least- he thought he did. But he was hurt. Why did she go? She was the only thing keeping him alive, the only thing worth breathing for. Did she really have to go?

Gaara had often wondered if she had been kidnapped. He heard stories of an assassin, who fit the description of Sachi perfectly. They say her eyes would change to pure yellow before she killed them, then red- then she would laugh, and the person was dead. Just like that.

Gaara sometimes hoped this assassin was Sachi, and other times, he hoped it wasn't. He wished he knew where she was, how she was doing… if she loved him. He hoped Sachi hadn't been killing all those people. She was the one who had so many times stopped him from killing people, so why would she be doing it now? Unless someone was forcing her to kill? If Sachi was the assassin, he really hoped it wasn't of her own will.

He would devote his life to finding her, just as soon as he finished off this… Sasuke... who was following him. They hadn't finished their match, and Sasuke was pursuing him and his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari, at an almost increasing speed. Why couldn't he shake him?

Then he felt it. A feeling deep, past his ribcage- in his heart. For a moment, he was sure his heart skipped a beat. He could sense her. He could almost hear her breathing, feel her skin pressed against his. Maybe she was really here, right there, beside him? No, there was no one to be seen. But still, his heart was racing at the very thought- Sachi was coming.


	14. Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Yeah, it's probably a real shocker to you, seeing as I'm SOOO awesome. But uh. It's true.

Sachi could feel excitement welling up in her chest as they approached Konoha. She had no real reason for this happiness, at least not that she could name, but it was definitely a nice feeling. Pure bliss was an emotion Sachi hadn't felt in so long without it being tainted by her hate that she felt almost awkward. It was like a brand new feeling that she was a bit unsure she should be having. Should she try this feeling out for a change? Or would it change her into something she wasn't? – Maybe who she was right now wasn't who she really was inside or MAYBE… It was too confusing to think about, so Sachi pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Meanwhile, Orochimaru was pushing on ahead. He turned around, saw her lagging behind, and disappeared from view for a moment.

Sachi stopped running for a moment. Where had he gone?

"Meet me in the stadium. It's straight ahead- and, remember," Came a whisper in her ear, letting out a breath that sounded a bit like a scoff "Don't screw this up." Sachi turned around to see Orochimaru disappear in a cloud of smoke. A clone? A CLONE? Sachi was almost furious. She had been lead all this way by a clone of Orochimaru- and he still went faster then her! It frustrated her, though she wasn't quite sure why. But she kept going. She was already too far in to stop, and she really had nothing to lose- right?

As Sachi continued running, the gates of Konoha came into view. She knew exactly how to get past them, of course. At least, she hoped she did. As the gates neared, Sachi began to devise a plan. She thought of many ways to get past the guards- acting innocent, distracting them, or just killing them. She was about to settle for the last one when she realized there were no guards! The only thing visible from Sachi's point of view besides the gates were the giant snakes terrorizing the citizens of Konoha. Wait- what? Giant snakes? Sachi took another look and verified that yes, there were giant snakes. Then she decided (Quite quickly, might I add) the snakes belonged to Orochimaru. He DID look a lot like a snake, so he probably owned some as well. Could anyone OWN a snake? _Well, he's Orochimaru- anything's possible_ thought Sachi, rolling her eyes.

The top of the gates passed by as Sachi soared over them, tucking her legs under herself so she wouldn't hit anything (Ouch!) Sachi found the snakes glaring at her intently, but looking away and continuing their rampage. Did they know she was with them? Maybe Orochimaru had told them? It might make sense- Orochimaru seemed to need her, even though he was so much better at… well- everything- then Sachi was. It wouldn't be very helpful, him putting all that time into training her, and then one of his snakes devouring her on her way to help him. Sachi would've laughed, had she not have known her life might be at stake.

Now Sachi was looking down on the stadium. She was aware there were a few people underneath her, so she silently clung to the top of the wall.

"Where has Sasuke gone?" She heard someone moan. It sounded sort of like that girl in the woods- Sasuke! That name, she had heard it before, in the forest of death. He was missing? Was he part of Orochimaru's plan? _No, that's stupid _Sachi laughed at herself _Why would he want a leaf ninja? _But then again, why had they "visited" Sasuke and… Sakura…? (Sachi couldn't quite remember her name, seeing as she hadn't said to much) in the woods that day? Sachi was pretty sure that was right, but was prevented from correcting herself by a voice Sachi hadn't heard before. It was deep, and calm, but friendly at the same time.

"Where else could he have gone? Really Sakura, isn't it obvious?" He said this in a cool tone, not like he was teasing the girl "After Gaara." Sachi heart skipped a beat. There was no longer thinking involved in her actions. She jumped down to where the voices were, her heart thumping in her ears. She saw the girl, Sakura, look up surprised. A scream tore from her throat and she backed away.

"Wh- What do you want?" She whispered in a hushed tone. Sound ninja and leaf ninja were clashing overhead, and Sachi was becoming impatient.

"GAARA. Where is he?" She picked the girl up by her short pink hair and looked her in the eye. "Where. Is. Gaara?" She growled. Sakura pointed a shaking finger to a hole in the wall of the stadium. Sachi threw the girl to the side and ran to the hole. Gaara was being pursued, Gaara was in danger, Gaara was…. Here. In this very place. She would find him. It would cost her her life when Orochimaru found out, but she had to see him again. She, who promised herself to protect him for the rest of their lives, who had left him for a stupid offer from a man who could quite possibly be the devil- wanted to see him.

If only for a moment, she wanted to know he was all right. She knew if she just saw him alive and well- it would be okay to die. She wasn't afraid of death. She knew that death would be the punishment for what she was doing- avoiding Orochimaru/ They had been training for this for so long- and she wasn't going to be there to help Orochimaru. She had been so quick to kill before; so eager to destroy a life, but now she wanted nothing to do with all that.

What she had wanted since the beginning of her existence was a family. She had one, once, and they loved her, so much. But she had thrown that away to see them. That's not what her mother would have wanted. She didn't live such a painful life and die such a horrible death so Sachi could throw her own life away. She had always wanted Sachi to find love- true love. Sachi had had that and much more with Gaara. But would he accept her now?

Sachi did not care to think about what she would do if Gaara no longer loved her. He had every right too, seeing as she had left him all alone, but she hoped, with all her heart, that he would still love her. She would never forget how they used to be so happy together; how they thought it would last forever. Would it? Sachi wondered as she made her way through the shrubbery. Should she turn back? Would he be better off without her? Sachi stopped for a brief moment. He was better off without her, that was for sure. Nobody needed her in their life. She was nothing but a nuisance, and she knew that, deep down. But selfishness and love kept Sachi going, so she continued on the path.

She saw some broken branches ahead, showing someone had been through here. Quite careless, and in a hurry as well- Sasuke? That meant Sasuke really was pursuing Gaara. And maybe Gaara was injured, even? It was horrible to think about. The very thought made Sachi push her limits and speed on through the trees. No one was going to hurt Gaara- never. Not as long as she was alive, which wouldn't be that much longer now.

Sachi knew a clearing was coming up ahead, and heard voices. She silently approached the clearing, using her best efforts to camouflage herself. She had become very good at this, thanks to Orochimaru. Looking down she saw two people immediately- Sasuke, and another person Sachi had never seen before. They weren't discussing anything; they were actually in the middle of battling. The person Sasuke was battling right now wasn't Gaara… what was he doing, then? Sachi didn't want to turn back now that she had come so far, but if Gaara wasn't here, it was no use. She decided to wait until the battle between Sasuke, and who ever the other guy was, to end. Maybe this guy had been a distraction or something to Sasuke. She really hoped so.

Sachi had no interest in the fight for some reason- her heart was beating too fast. So she decided to rest a bit- stupid, in the middle of a battle, but she had to clear her thoughts, and she wasn't quite sure what else to do. Thoughts of Gaara still began to flash through her head, but nothing could prevent her from drifting off to sleep- she was far too tired.

Sachi woke up shortly afterwards- she had a feeling it hadn't been too long. She didn't know exactly how she knew this- it was just a guess, and she was pretty confident in her abilities. She knew though, not hearing anyone below, that the battle had ended. She didn't bother even viewing the clearing- Sasuke had been victor, as he always is.

As Sachi continued on, she saw the path of destruction Sasuke was leaving behind him. Temari, Gaara's older sister, who Sachi had only seen once, lay on the ground, and Sachi only caught a glimpse of Temari- she had no clue what she was injured from. The only reason Sachi recognized or even remembered Temari was that huge fan. She had it with her everywhere she went, and Sachi remembered being fascinated. But not as fascinated as she had been with Kankuro, who was borderline obsessed with puppets. She had thought it was so cool, that he actually controlled a puppet in battle, but tried her hardest not to show it. She didn't want to seem overexcited. She was sure Kankuro would win the next battle, but when she saw him, defeated, Sachi began to worry. Gaara had no one left to protect him, except her.

She heard more voices up ahead, and saw that Sasuke had just reached Gaara… Gaara! She didn't quite know how to show him she was there. She had an idea though, and anything was worth trying. She put a little bit of love in the palm of her hand, mixed with a memory- yes, she could do those now- of looking at Gaara for the first time. He was caring for her, because she couldn't care for herself. Now it was Sachi's turn to pay back to favor. She took the ball and shot it at Gaara.

It hit him, but it made no sound. It just sunk in, almost slowly, almost painfully, and Gaara's eyes changed for a moment. He was engulfed in hatred, she could tell, and that little bit of love, changed him. Then his eyes went cold again, but it was a show. Sachi saw happiness radiating off of him.

"Whoever is up there, please come down." Sasuke said agitatedly "This is not your battle." Sachi came out from the cover of the trees and landed next to Gaara.

"Oh, but it is." She spoke softly. She nodded to Gaara, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry." And she did a new move she had not yet shown anyone. Orochimaru had taught it to her- a bonus of her Gekitsuugon. She took Gaara's love and her own love and made it into a shield. Gaara couldn't interfere with the fight, until Sachi was either killed, or removed the barrier manually. His eyes flickered between Sachi and Sasuke. It didn't matter to him much what was going on, the only important thing was that Sachi was back, back for him. He wasn't going to lose her again.


	15. Missing You

Disclaimer: Mm. I don't own Naruto. But uh. Gaara's really hot. :

LOL.

Sachi saw that Gaara was slightly agitated in not being able to fight, but his happiness to see her spoke much louder. She couldn't believe anyone would ever be happy to see her- most people, if they knew who she was, were terrified. But here Gaara was, so incredibly happy that she, Sachi, was here. Sasuke smirked.

"All right then. I guess I'll have to kill you first." He said, nodding toward Sachi. He knew that this was the same girl he had met in the forest. She had great power, or whatever Orochimaru had said. But he had gotten better as well. He would try to save his chidori for Gaara- but if it was all riding on that one move, he would definitely use it. Besides, he could do two blasts. It wouldn't be too hard, but who knew- this Sachi girl might surprise him.

"Big words" Sachi spoke, returning the smirk "For someone so pathetic. Why did you follow Gaara? You have no business with him." Sachi thought for a moment. Was she stalling this fight? She was anxious to catch up with Gaara, see all that's been happening in the time she was, for lack of a better word, _away_.

"Why I followed him is my business, isn't it? Now cut the small talk- I hate that." Sasuke seemed placid on the outside, but he was wary on the inside. This girl was not exactly friendly- and she seemed to really like Gaara. Was that even possible? Sachi did not appear to have a loving bone in her body, but looks can be deceiving- Sasuke knew this for a fact. He began to charge at Sachi, ending all conversation, but with his head down, his missed Sachi whispering something.

The Sharingan was a bad choice. She did not want to start some emotional breakdown, right in the middle of a fight. But if she was going to do this quickly, maybe causing Sasuke some stress and disbelief would help. She looked at Sasuke, already knowing his next move- she didn't need the Sharingan for that. He was charging at her head on, blindly, and sort of stupidly. He meant for her to think this, most likely, and for her to be careless and simply sidestep him, which he would be expecting. She jumped off of the tree limb, however, ending up in the air directly above Sasuke. She threw a handful of kunai at him, completely aware he would dodge them. She was also aware that he would dodge the kunai that one of her clones' (she was quick) threw at him on his left. She almost knew, however, that when she hit him from underneath, and from the right (another clone, of course) he could not dodge. He received a few kunai in the chest.

Sitting against a tree, Sasuke attempted to pull the kunai out. One of them came out quite quickly, the other he had to tug out rather harshly- it looked very painful. Sasuke looked up; glaring at her, and finally realized her Sharingan was activated. He gasped, and began to stutter. It was clearly a shock to him there had been someone his brother had not killed.

"Wh- Wha…?" Sasuke began to say, completely in shock. He could not stop from shaking. Sachi looked at him with the greatest pity she could muster up. All this time, there had been another Uchiha; someone who was not allowed to bear the name- but that didn't stop the blood trait.

"My full name is Sachi Uchiha." Sachi said, speaking in an authoritative voice "I was not accepted in the Uchiha clan, because the other Uchihas did not accept my mother, who wasn't ninja of any sort. My father began to believe what they said about her being useless and pathetic. Shortly after I was born, my father left my mother and we were banished from the Uchiha clan, forced to now bear my mother's last name, Hasegawa." Sachi had been told all this from Orochimaru. It did seem to fit into her memories correctly. She remembered, when she was 3, how she had seen her father one day, looking very troubled. Even 3 year olds can tell when something is wrong, and something was certainly wrong. Sachi heard her parents talking that night. She was 3, and couldn't really understand human language too well, but she did know what was going on.

Her father was whispering angrily at her mother, and her mother was pleading him "_for the kids, for the kids, please?_" Sachi heard her mother shudder in an attempt to stop the flow of tears that were surely falling from her eyes. And the next day, Sachi's father was gone- with all their money, all their hope, and her mother's heart. Sachi's mother had been useless for days, crying over old photos and blaming herself for this whole thing.

"It's all the Uchiha clan's fault that my mother died. If my father hadn't left, he would've saved her. But his stupid clan convinced him to leave. We were banished from the clan, but I still have the blood trait. They caught up with my brother shortly after my mother died and…" Sachi had not heard the rest of the story. Orochimaru had gotten up and left. Just like that. It wasn't like it was painful to him to inform Sachi what had happened to Dai. Besides, he was still alive- he had to be! Once Gaara was safe, if Sachi was still alive, she would find Dai- if it was, indeed, the last thing she did. "I may be a traitor, however," She paused, for dramatic effect, " I still have the blood trait." She smirked and the battle raged onward.

So Sasuke's reaction had not been what she expected. What had she expected? She knew he wasn't going to stop fighting her because they were related, but- he had barely even flinched. He seemed extremely focused, but his thoughts said otherwise. Sachi's Gekitsuugon was activated, as well as he Sharingan. Her eyes were blood red, thanks to the Sharingan, but she could still do everything she could do with the Gekitsuugon. Sasuke was very weak on the inside, and very undecided. He was wondering whether or not he should fight her- hesitating.

"I came here for Gaara." Sasuke said suddenly, Sachi less then an inch away, fighting with a kunai like it was a dagger "Give him to me, let me fight him- or I will not hold back. I don't…" he trailed off, his voice suddenly failing him. Sachi raised an eyebrow, almost amused. Had he been holding back? "I don't want to hurt you." And his eyes showed an emotion Sachi had seen too many times before- fear. It wasn't the fear of her- it was the fear of hurting her. It was peculiar. Why would he be afraid to hurt her? She had never met him before. They were family, but technically, the Uchihas had disowned her. He should be ashamed to meet her, do something ridiculous, like spit on her. Uchihas were vain people, and this Sasuke shouldn't be too different. What was it about him?

"All this time, I thought I was alone. The last Uchiha… except for my brother. He killed them-" his voice failed him again "killed everyone. All my family. But you're… you're here." Sachi had frozen. She dropped her kunai as Sasuke reached over and touched her hand "I don't want to be a murderer, like my brother." Sachi dropped her gaze and tore her hand away from his grasp.

"Then don't be. Leave. Your village- it's… it's under attack. Leave Gaara alone, and no one will die today." Sasuke considered this for a moment, staring intently into Sachi's eyes. Then he turned around, began to jump off, but turned around.

"This isn't over today." And with that, he was gone. Sachi didn't even turn around to watch him leave. She had released Gaara from his shield and was running towards him. The world went into slow motion, the steps it took to get to Gaara becoming miles- this was Gaara, and here was Sachi. She never wanted to leave him again.

They finally reached each other, and Gaara pulled Sachi into a tight embrace. He attempted a smile, but his eyes read sadness. Sachi was confused- was he not happy to see her? She was so sure before he had… of course. Sachi had, after all, left without explanation. Orochimaru said he had explained it all to Gaara, but those eyes… Gaara's eyes said otherwise.

"Gaara… Orochimaru… he told me he told you." Was all she could manage, burying her face, tears streaming down it, into his chest, his arms wrapped around her. Gaara's body began to shake, and she felt hot tears fall onto her head. "I'm so sorry."

And no more words were necessary. Gaara's touch, his hug, his tears, his love- it was all that mattered. An apology was all he had ever needed, an explanation, and Sachi- he was fulfilled. There was nothing else Gaara could possibly want.

Kabuto watched the scene from afar. He was grateful to be away from Orochimaru- he wasn't exactly in one of his best moods. The plan had failed, because of the girl's utter disobedience. This was a great excuse to be away from Orochimaru- the execution of this girl. It was almost sad- she had sort of grown on him. But Kabuto doubted Orochimaru's mood would improve if he failed to carry out orders. So this would be quick, effortless, and painless.

Kabuto took a deep breath, darted toward the girl and boy, locked in an embrace, and took aim.


	16. Here In Your Arms

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But maybe if I successfully kidnap one of the characters…

The usually quiet apartment exploded with noise. It was very rare that a door randomly burst into flame, and not exactly a welcomed sight. Dai got up on his feet, prepared to fight. It could've been some random burst of flames, but that was so incredibly unlikely it wasn't worth the doubt. Besides, he was sure someone had been following him home…

And the answers were revealed to him- behind the smoldering ash that had once been a door stood a figure Dai could not possible fathom existed. Pure white skin and a fearfully evil presence that might make any other run away was certainly not helping Dai's courage, but he had his family to protect. His sister lay asleep, out on the roof. It was a peculiar habit for such a small girl, but she loved to feel the sunshine on her face in the afternoon, and sometimes Dai would join her if he was especially tired after missions. Hopefully, the strange man had not noticed her presence, and since their mother was not home, did not know about her either.

"Hello." The man spoke. His voice made him sound lazy, but he was obviously devising a plan "I'm Orochimaru. And you- Dai Uchiha. " Dai took a step back in astonishment. Nobody around here knew that he was really an Uchiha! Their family had worked hard to hide the shame of being banished by that stupid clan.

"Have we met somewhere before?" Dai questioned, even though he knew perfectly well they had not. He would remember such an ugly, horrible face- that was for sure. And "Orochimaru" (or whatever his name was) shook his head, which was expected. He advanced forward, stepping over the ashes that once were a door and smile, clearly amused.

"What's an Uchiha doing all the way over here? Oh, I know. Perhaps," he said placidly, relishing in the fact he had caught Dai's attention "Perhaps you were… disowned?" Dai gasped. Who was this man? An Uchiha? He knew many of their faces and names, and he had never seen or heard of an Orochimaru in the clan. He couldn't be new- he was older then Dai, and you couldn't just join the Uchihas- they weren't a club. So who was he?

"What do you want?" Dai growled, lifting his gaze from the floor and glaring. He wouldn't let this guy get to him- he was a ninja, and he had a family to protect.

"Well you see, Dai, I have a favor to ask of you." Orochimaru grinned, informing Dai that Orochimaru knew something he didn't "And if you decline? You mother will die." And out of nowhere, his mother appeared. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was choking on a gag. Dai looked at her in horror. Her kind face was tear stained, but she was fighting nonetheless, trying to be brave. Being brave… that was Dai's job.

"Let her go." He said, pulling a kunai from the pouch resting on his upper thigh "Or else." Orochimaru shook his head disapprovingly.

"Dai, Dai, Dai," He said, grabbing the back of his mother's neck "Remember? I have a favor to ask of you." Dai was no match for this man. He could tell, just by looking at him, that he was a seasoned ninja. Dai had only been doing missions for a few years. He had barely passed the Chuunin exams! He dropped his kunai and nodded at the man.

"What do you want? I'll do anything. Just don't hurt her." Orochimaru smirked at Dai, obviously delighted.

"All you have to do is come to my lab, and stay there for a few days. Do that, and she's free." Dai nodded, and the bonds that were holding his mother disappeared with the snap of Orochimaru's fingers. She reached out for Dai, and hugged him so tightly he was sure his eyes would bulge out of his skull. "I'll be back for you tonight." And with that, Orochimaru was gone.

"You didn't have to do that for me!" Dai's mother sobbed, trying to pull herself together. "Sweetheart, you're so brave. I'm so proud of you…"

The scene suddenly changed, thoughts swirling around.

Sachi Uchiha watched as her brother left the apartment with the strange man. She noticed, however, that there was another, who her brother had not seen. He looked the same as the person Dai had left with- but that wasn't possible. The man, who Sachi could not remember the name of, had left with Dai just moments ago- yet here he was, standing behind her sobbing mother, who was completely unaware of his presence. His malicious eyes turned to slits as a smile turned the corner of his lips.

The man began to walk toward her, a kunai in his hand. Suddenly, Sachi realized the danger her mother was in and tried to shout, but no noise came out. She was on the 3rd floor, her face pressed against the window, and her mother was so far below… Sachi began to run. She flew down the many flights of stairs in the apartment building and ran out the doors- but it was too late. Her mother was lying on the ground, a bloody mess. There was a kunai lodged deep into her back, and she wasn't breathing. Sachi threw herself on her mother, grabbing her wrist, checking for a pulse. There was nothing there. No heart beat, no breathing, no warmth radiating from her body…

Then there was darkness. It enveloped Sachi, and she could not see anything around her.

"My God…" came an exasperated voice from the darkness "Will you tell him that he could try to break down the door if he wanted, but all it would do is get him thrown out? The Hasegawa girl needs REST. The kunai came so close… My, my… kids these days." Sachi tried to open an eye, but only barely cracked it. Her lips were dry, so dry… she needed water badly; to help her voice work and her throat stop aching. She lifted her arm, and it rose, suddenly heavy. Her hand came in contact with someone's shoulder. She tried to say "Water" but all the came out was

"Gaara" and her voice cracked. She tried to find the person's shoulder again, but it was gone.

"Very well then." Said a superior, elderly sounding voice. And with that, a door slammed open.

"Finally!" Came an irritated voice "You had absolutely no right to coop her up in here. What kind of hospital is this?" It was Gaara's voice, she was sure. Through her half opened eye, she saw a flash of red hair, and her hand, still searching for something to hold, was grasped by another hand. He didn't grab tightly or too hard, but his touch was soft and caring. Gaara's hand felt the lines on her palm, and she felt it gently squeeze her hand. Her need to drink and eat left her, instead replaced with another need to sleep- for a long time. And with that, she felt her hand slip from the other's hand's grasp and she closed her eyes- maybe forever?

Sachi was lying on her mother's lifeless body, sobbing. People began to pass by, many, many people. They just kept walking, not even glancing at Sachi. She was not worth their time, and neither was her mother. Nobody cared… Sachi sobbed harder into her mother's jacket. A voice came from behind her, a sinister whisper.

"You're next. Unless, of course." The voice laughed cruelly "You come with me." And Sachi took off. She didn't want to leave her mother there, and she looked back one more time at the lifeless form, feeling worse and worse about running. But she would not let herself die. She would not die, she had to get revenge on the man who took her brother and killed her mother. She would never die until she had killed him with her own hands. She would never join sides with him or be fooled by him again.

Tears streamed down Sachi's face. She could remember everything now. Orochimaru had lied to her about everything. The Uchihas had not killed her mother- he had. She sat up angrily, her head throbbing and her bones aching. Her heart raced as she opened her eyes painfully, looking around. She saw a face to her right, grimacing, but looking intently at her rising head. When the face saw her look, a smile graced it's worried features. Then the red hair came into focus and the facial details. Sachi smiled weakly and leaned towards Gaara, whispering quietly in his ear.

"That day, when we first met…" her voice faltered a bit, but she kept going. "The moment I saw you… I knew you were the one." Gaara held her hand tightly, pulling her close, close to his side, pulling her into a tender embrace. Her aches and pains left her, and she knew here, in Gaara's arms, was where she belonged.


End file.
